In an article dated March 29th, the secretary of the San Diego Council of Divers wrote about how a major dive site can be lost to divers and the public.
I honestly have to disagree with the author as access to the mentioned reef is certainly available. Simply because the reef is currently not accessible via the beach at the Children’s Pool in no way prohibits divers from this area. Divers can and do enter from South Casa beach in order to dive the aforementioned reef.
Certainly the presence of the seals has caused a great amount of furor over the past several years. As an avid scuba diver and environmentalist, I fully appreciate the viewpoints at issue. However, I also fully understand that this beach, whatever its original purpose, is currently very important to the local wildlife, namely harbor seals.
We, as humans have done so very much to destroy and ravage the ecosystem. Why, when one species adapts to what we have done, must we be outraged and try, once again, to push them out?
The reality is that the city benefits from the presence of the seals just as the seals benefit from the presence of the beach, yes, a man-made beach. These are a federally protected species for a reason, they have nearly no habitat in which to pup any longer. Why must we demand access to a small strip of beach, when there is so much more for us to use? Why, as scuba divers of all things, must we demand access to this area? I, for one, want to be able to continue to see the amazing animals and sights of the underwater world. I truly hope it can be preserved for future generations. There is no reason that I can comprehend to demand access to this beach. Don’t we want those who come after us to say “they did a good thing here”?
As for the local Dive Council — They ignore my opinions; thus, they do not represent me, nor those I choose to dive with. The group I belong to now has approximately 700 divers in its membership. I am sure that I do not see eye to eye with all of them, but I certainly do not support the opinions related by the secretary of the San Diego Council of Divers.
Sincerely,
Jim Ridgway
San Diego Diver
